Yogi returns compliment to Ambedkar Mahasabha prez

Yogi Adityanath was conferred the title of 'Dalit Mitra' by the Ambedkar Mahasabha

Four days after he was conferred the title of 'Dalit Mitra' by the Ambedkar Mahasabha, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Wednesday returned the compliment.

Mahasabha president Lalji Nirmal was on Wednesday appointed the chairman of Uttar Pradesh Scheduled Caste Finance Corporation.

Sources said that an official notification in this regard is likely to be issued soon.

Nirmal had conferred the title upon Adityanath at a function here to pay tribute to Dalit icon B R Ambedkar on his 127th birth anniversary on Saturday.

There was a split in the Mahasabha over its decision to honour Adityanath and several members of the outfit had held a demonstration against the decision outside the programme venue.

Two founding members of the outfit, SR Darapuri and Harish Chandra, alleged that Nirmal had been promised a lucrative post by the state government so he wanted to please the chief minister.

"The atrocities on Dalits have increased manifold under the present government....it has failed to ensure the safety of Dalits...the community is facing persecution," Darapuri said.

Nirmal had denied the allegations and said that he had not been promised any post by the state government.